Publications by authors named "Merati K"

Blood culturing remains the "gold standard" for bloodstream infection (BSI) diagnosis, but the method is inaccessible to many developing countries due to high costs and insufficient resources. To better understand the utility of blood cultures among patients in Indonesia, a country where blood cultures are not routinely performed, we evaluated data from a previous cohort study that included blood cultures for all participants. An acute febrile illness study was conducted from July 2013 to June 2016 at eight major hospitals in seven provincial capitals in Indonesia.

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This study explores the contribution of counseling to improving acceptance of and adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and identifies key issues associated with its implementation. We conducted a longitudinal mixed-methods study in Bali Province between 2015 and 2017. The study participants were 170 newly diagnosed PLHIV and 17 outreach-counselor workers (OWs).

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Background: The burden of leptospirosis in Indonesia is poorly understood. Data from an observational study conducted from 2013 to 2016 in seven cities across Indonesia was used to estimate the incidence of leptospirosis and document its clinical manifestations in patients requiring hospitalization.

Methods: Specimens from patients hospitalized with acute fever were collected at enrollment, 14-28 days, and 3 months.

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The increasing number of travelers to Bali has been accompanied by the increased risks of travel-related health problems. Travel agents and tour guides are in a key position to inform travelers about these matters; nonetheless, little evidence was found on their role in the promotion of travel health. This article aims to assess travel agent and tour guide perceptions on their possible involvement in promoting travel health measures in Bali.

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Mucin expression patterns have been studied in tumors from various sites. Previous studies have shown an association of MUC1 with poor prognosis and MUC2 and MUC5AC with a mucinous phenotype. The pattern of mucin expression in endometrial carcinomas has not been documented in a large series.

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We describe 5 cases (4 males, 14-43 years old; 1 female, 61 years old) of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoproliferative lesions expressing a CD8/granzyme/CD30-positive phenotype. Four cases were compatible with lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) based on the clinical course, which was recurrent asymptomatic papular nodular lesions over years responding to methotrexate; granulomatous inflammation and lack of other inflammatory cell elements were characteristic. In 1 case, an initial erroneous diagnosis was made of aggressive epidermotropic CD8+ T-cell lymphoma.

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Objective: To determine the prognostic significance of p53 and fragile histidine triad (FHIT) expression in advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Study Design: A retrospective collection of clinical data was correlated with the protein expression.

Method: The expression of p53 and FHIT in specimens from patients with previously untreated advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx was determined by immunohistochemistry.

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Although general characteristics of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and their delineation from other pancreatic tumors have been well established, several issues regarding their biology and management remain unresolved. It has been noted briefly by us and other authors that there are different types of papillae in IPMNs; however, their frequency, biologic significance, and clinical relevance are unknown. In this study, the association of different papillary patterns with clinical, pathologic, and biologic parameters was studied in 74 IPMNs, and the expression profile of CDX2 (a specific marker and one of the key determinants of intestinal "programming," and a tumor suppressor) was determined immunohistochemically in addition to MUC1 (a marker of an "aggressive" phenotype in pancreatic neoplasia) and MUC2 ("intestinal type mucin," a marker of the "indolent" phenotype, and a tumor suppressor).

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In the exocrine organs, breast and pancreas, colloid carcinoma (CC, pure mucinous carcinoma), characterized by well-circumscribed lakes of mucin that contain scanty, detached malignant cells, has a significantly better prognosis than conventional ductal carcinomas (DCs). It has been speculated by us and others that an inverse polarization of cells may be responsible for the accumulation of extracellular mucin. Another possibility is that this mucin is biochemically and biologically distinct from the mucin secreted by the conventional carcinomas of these organs.

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Emerging evidence suggests a dichotomy in the dysplasia-CIS-invasive carcinoma sequence in the pancreas. Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasms (PanINs; small, incidental duct lesions) progress to invasive ductal adenocarcinomas (5-y survival of < 15%), whereas intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (large, intraductal tumors with ductal dilatation) are often associated with colloid carcinoma (5-y survival of > 55%). We explored the relationship of these lesions by examining the expression of MUC1 and MUC2, glycoproteins reportedly reflecting "aggressive" and "indolent" phenotypes in pancreas cancer, respectively.

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Despite the exceedingly poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, it is often histologically well to moderately differentiated. The apparent resistance to conventional therapeutic modalities is poorly understood and may be related to the molecules involved in its progression or its propensity for perineurial invasion. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme homologous to COX-1 that is responsible for production of prostaglandins at sites of inflammation.

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